Prineville set to dedicate ‘War Paint’ sculpture honoring legendary bucking horse

PRINEVILLE, Ore. (KTVZ) – In partnership with Crook County, the city of Prineville will hold a dedication ceremony Thursday morning at City Hall for a new sculpture, “War Paint,” a public art piece to honor a legendary bucking horse with deep ties to the area.

The city of Prineville commissioned the sculpture by Greg Congleton to honor War Paint and also to acknowledge the community’s connection to The Tribes of Klamath and the Confederated Tribes of Warm Springs.

No taxpayer dollars were used to fund the $120,000 sculpture, an organizer said.

War Paint is a bucking horse campaigned by the Christensen Brothers Rodeo Contractors from the late 1940s through the mid-1960s. 

During this timeframe, War Paint was chosen by the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association as bucking horse of the year in 1956 – 57 and tied with another horse for the honor in 1958. 

War Paint is a member of the ProRodeo Hall of Fame, Ellensburg Rodeo Hall of Fame, and Pendleton Rodeo Hall of Fame.  Very few rodeo horses have received this level of honor.

War Paint was born on the Klamath Indian Reservation in 1945 and raised by tribal member Orie Somers.  The Christensen Brothers Rodeo and Stock Company purchased War Paint from Orie Somers when the horse was 3 years old.  Christensen Brothers provided the stock contracting for the Crooked River Roundup and many other rodeos in the Pacific Northwest.